Shock absorber



M. OPANCHYK SHOCK ABSORBER Dec. 29 1925'.

Filed Feb. 9, 1925 Patented Dec. 2.9, 1925.

- STATES wwe MIKE orAnoHYiz, or BIRMrNGHaM, 1ALABaMA,nssIGNoR orTH-nEE-FoUnTEs To fSALLIEMJBnADLEYANDONELFOURTH To T ivn BRADLEY,`JR.,BOTH or BIRMING- `-HAM, ALABAMIA.v

SHOCK ABSORBER.

Application led February 9, 1925. Serial No. 8,007.

To allfwhom'z't may concern:

` Be it known .tliatL` MIKE OrANoHYK, a

citizen ofthe United States of Americmrresdingat' Birminghamdnthecount-y of efv ferson'and State ofAlabama, have invented certain new anduseful vImprovements in .ShookAbs'orberg of which the following 1s Q aspecication.-

y Ainvention relates to shock absorbers .of the type l.utilizing an`auxiliary spring made yfast to `one of the relatively movable elementsof a vehicle7 preferablyl to the running 'gea-r, and having `flexibleconnections from thespring to thebody. I

More particularly-my invention contemplates the provision of springs'ofthe semielliptical type comprising oppositely curved upper andlowermembers connected at their ,fcenterto the running gear and having aflexible'connefction woven about their freeends iso that relativemovement between 4body and `running gear will induce `an opposedmovementofthereverselycurved"springsequal 'tofhalf of the body.

QMo're 'particularly 'my invention contemplates providing the vfree endsof the springs Iwith Aanti'frictionrollers', there being preferably onef roller on each end `ofthe upper vspring and two on each end ofthevlower :io spring, and over theupper roller and under ythelower rollersat each end is passed an `endless band which leads up and over a rolleron the body. The springs are put wunder tension before the band 1sapplied. Vh/Iy'invention further comprises the novel `'details ofconstruction in thev manner of mounting the springs on the front andrear axles ofthe running gear and of mounting thef'rollersonthe springs.n 4toI Myinven'tionfurther comprises the novel details of constructionand arrangements of parts, which in their preferred embodiment only areillustrated in the accompanying drawings `which form a part of thisspeci- Vfica'tion, andv in which f"Figl .l is an elevation of the rearshock absoi'bingf'spring, omitting thel flexible belts and allfpartsofthel'body 4and running gear except the side frame channels which areshown in cross section.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 17 showing the manner of mounting the rearshock absorber-on the rear axlefthe connecting belts being shown.

Fi 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a crosssectional view through the front axle showing the clipand mounting bracket for my improved spring shock absorber.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken through the rear axle housing andshowing the-improved clamp for the rear spring bracket.

Fig. 6 illustrates a modified manner of attachment of a single belt toavoid obstacles and provide single tensioning adjustment. `Similarreference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

I have illustrated my invention in connection with 4conventionalautomobile parts which are typical of any vehicle and which `as showncomprise therear axle housing 1, the front axle 2, and the side channels3 of the chassis. The shock absorber spring should be of the typecomprising oppositely working elements and my invention7 broadlyspeaking, contemplates any such typeof spring. VThe. preferred type ofSpring which alone is illustrated is of the semi-elliptical typecomprising upper leaves 41, 5 and 6 disposed wlth their concave surfacesupward and a lower semi-elliptical sprlng compris- `ing leaves `7,8; 9and 170 disposed with their concave faces downward. The adjacent orshortleaves 6 and 10 of the two springs are mounted respectively aboveand below a bracket l1, which for the rear spring forms a part of thearched frame 12 and for the front spring forms a part of clamp plate 13.The frame 12 has its ends 14 curved in transverse cross section to'conform to the curvature of the rear axle housing 1 at a point where theframe ends will engage such housing, and I provide in each end of theframe al hole 15 adapted to receive a boss or projecto such axle-bybolts 21 and clips 22, as

" sition.

shown in Fig. 4, which will serve to hold the forward bracket in desiredoperating po- The front and rear springs being alike the description ofone applies to both, though obviously the strength and size of thesprings may vary relatively as different conditions of use may makedesirable.

The free ends of the upper leaves 4 have attached to their under face aU-shaped frame 23 in which .a flanged roller 24 is l journaled, and inlike manner the free ends of the lower leaf 7 have avwide U-shaped frame25 secured tothe under-side thereof and carrying at their ends a pair offlanged rollers 26 and 27 which are odset beyond the side of the springleaf 7. To the inner face l of each channel 3, preferably in line 'with'i* -tlie roller 24, I mount a bracket 28 having journaled in underliunglugs a roller 29. An

endless belt 30 of stout flexible material is f passed over the roller24 and the flights thereof and then passed under and outwardly fi f) iabout the rollers 25 and 27 and thence upwardly and over the roller 29.Havingapends of lall of the front'and rear springs the action of theshock absorber is as follows. Relative movement between running gear andbody induced by road inequalities leaves such lvehicle parts free toapproach each other, and the springs, which are placed under tensionwhen assembling the belt, will expand to take up the slack in the belt.As

the vehicle parts attempt a reverse or a rebound movementgthe beltstighten and draw the two free ends of the springs together at eachk endwithfa thrust imposed thus directly 1" uponl the two springs,each'however having movement equal to one half that of the body.

This enables me within a limited space to arrange groups adapted to givean easy ridingcondition free of objectionableI rebound.

Referring to Fig. 6 it may often occur that convenient space is'notavailable immediately above the ends of the spring to receive thebracket for the upper roller and to permit the use of the endless belt.Under such conditions a single belt 30 can be employed by being fastenedin' any suitable manner about one ofthe lower rollers and woven over theupper `spring roller and back under the lower spring roller and up to asuitable attaching bracket 31. rihis arrangement makes it possible tolocate this latter bracket at any convenient point juxtaposed to thespring and on either side of the spring wherever most clearance isavailable.

Though I have described with great particularity the details of theembodiment of the invention herein shown, it is not to be construed thatI vain limited thereto, as changes in arrangement and substitution ofequivalents may be made by those skilled in the Vart without departingfrom the inventionas defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A n auxiliary spring shock absorber comprising reversely actingsprings, an endlessfiexible belt passed about said springs in positionto have its motion in' one direction jointly resisted by oppositemovement of said springs, means to connect said belt to one part of thevehicle so that motion in said direction will be imparted to the belt onrebounds, and means to mount the springs o n an element of the vehiclemovable relatively to said first mentioned element.

2. A spring shock absorber `according to claim 1, in which the springsare of the semielliptical leaf type comprising reversely disposed upperand lower members held under tension by said belt.

3'. A spring shock vabsorber according -to claim 1, in whi'ch'thesprings are of the semi-elliptical leaf type comprising reverselydisposed upper and lower members,

i said members carrying underhung from plied, the belts in this mannerto the four their free ends guides for said flexible connection.

4. .spring shock absorber for vehicles, comprising upper and lowerreversely disposed elliptical springs, means to connect said springs attheir center to a vehicle running gear, rollers mounted on the free endsof said spring, a roller mounted on the vehicle body above each end ofthe spring, and an endless band passed about said rollers in position tohold the springs under tension and to compress botlispri'ngs as the bodyrebounds. l

5. A spring shock absorber as described in claim 4, in which the lowerspring element carries two laterally off-set rollers and each beltpassesover an upper spring roller and under the adjacent spring rollers.

G. A spring shockA absorber comprising reversely acting springs'havingbelt guides, means to mount said springs on one body element, of anupper belt guide and means to mount it on a relatively movable bodyelement, and a free endless belt passed about said guides in position tobring both reversely acting springs into play to resist body reboundwith a motion for each spring of approximately half that of the body.

7. In combination with a vehicle body and ruiming gear, of a pair ofbelt guides on the body, a shock absorbing spring comprising reverselyacting leaf springs having belt guides at their free ends, a. beltpassed through said guides, and a. bracket to mount said spring on therear axle, comprising an arched frame having its end shaped to conformto the rear axle housing, U-clamps 1nterlocking with the frame ends andstraddling the housing, and clamp plates bolted 10 to the U-bolts andhaving concave toothed faces adapted to engage the housing and hold theframe rigidly in position thereon, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my si nature.

MlKE OPANC YK.

